Not So Imaginary
by ScarletRain7713
Summary: "Different isn't a bad thing," she smiled. "Everyone else thinks otherwise," he argued. Reviews are always welcome
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Foster's or their characters.. I do own Kay and Shane, who are about seven years old in this particular story of mine. I like reviews :)**

*Ding-dong* A young brunette girl rang as she pushed the doorbell while holding a fairly large yet light box filled with food. She had never seen or been to this house before, but she and her mother enjoyed doing charity work, and this house was said to be a Foster home. Literally. The owner happened to be named Foster. She chuckled to herself at the irony while waiting for someone to answer the door. Soon, thumping could be heard coming from the inside, but it didn't sound like walking... Hopping, maybe? "_Nah_," She thought. Then, her eyes widened as the figure who opened the door appeared to be a large rabbit, wearing a monicle and a black suit top.

"Good afternoon, Miss," the rabbit began, "I am Mr. Herriman. How may I assist you?" "Umm... Uhh.." she stammered, trying to find her words. "This is a foster home, right?"

"Yes." he answered. "Well, I'm Kay, and my mother and I donate to foster homes whenever we get the chance," she said, beginning to struggle with the box in her small arms. "This is for you. I don't know if it'll be enough.." she trailed off, motioning for the rabbit to take the package from her.

He did so, and replied, "Ah, yes, we were informed ahead of time that we would be receiving a delivery."

"Ok, good. Well, while I'm here, can I do anything else for you, like some volunteer work? Cleaning, anything?" she offered. Mr. Herriman chuckled and patted her head. "Young lady, this is more than enough."

"AH! Come back here!" someone shouted from the inside. Herriman turned quickly and Kay peered through the door to see a black-haired, red-eyed boy chasing... some kind of blue blob holding a red jacket?

Kay tugged on the rabbit's shirt to get his attention. "What kind of foster home is this?" "A foster home for imaginary friends,of course," He answered simply.

"He doesn't look imaginary..." she pointed out the boy, who was trying to tear the jacket from the blob, who was laughing and mocking him.

"Well, he's not, but he's... gifted. And had no where else to go. Of course the madam would not turn him away. Would you like to come in?" he motioned for her to follow as he hopped back inside.

"Master Shane!" Herriman exclaimed, causing the brawl to stop dead in its tracks.

"Bloo started it Herriman! He knows I can't stand people taking my stuff without asking and then he goes and takes stuff just to make me mad and..." Shane trailed off when he turned to face Mr. Herriman but instead was facing a girl about his age.

"Master Shane, this is Miss Kay. She's dropping off extra supplies for the house and would like to meet you," he explained.

"Uhh.. Hi, Kay," Shane greeted in sort of a shy manner and held out his hand.

"Hi," she replied, gripping and shaking his hand. Their eyes never left each others until Bloo threw Shane's jacket and covered his face. Shane growled, and removed the jacket to reveal ears and fangs like that of a wolf. It was like a magic trick. Kay gasped, but out of surprise, not fear.

"Oh, bother," Mr. Herriman said under his breath. "I'll leave you two be," he said, and hopped away with the box Kay had given him earlier.

Shane turned his back to Kay. "I bet you wanna leave now, huh?" he said bitterly, his tail drooping and motionless.

"No, why would I?" She replied. She couldn't see, but Shane's eyes opened wide. "You're different. So what?"

"But.." he countered, but stared as he watched the young girl close her eyes, and grow ears, claws, fangs, and a tail like those of a fox.

"Different isn't a bad thing," she smiled. He just looked at her in awe.

"Everyone else thinks otherwise," Shane argued, stepping closer to her. "That's why I'm here. No one wanted me around because of... this. My 'gift' as Herriman and Madam Foster call it. No family, no friends.. Well, except for the ones here. And this normal kid Mac who comes around to watch his pest, Bloo, the friend who stole my jacket," he explained.

"Well, I don't know if it means much, but maybe I'll come around some more. You know, to visit, if you want..." she said nervously. He was surprised, but smiled. "I'd like that."

"There's just one condition," Kay said with a smirk. "Ok, sure," he replied. "I'd like a tour of this place. It _is_ your home, isn't it? And it's huge!" she gestured.

"Oh, that won't be a problem. I still don't know the whole house yet, so come on, we'll go get Frankie. She's another caregiver here," Shane explained and took Kay's hand and led her to Mr. Herriman's office.

"Mr. Herriman, can you call Frankie? Kay wants a tour and I don't know the place well enough," Shane asked. Mr. Herriman reached for a funny looking microphone and spoke:

"Miss Francis! Come to my office for a tour." "I'm kinda busy right now!" the three heard her shout back to them.

"I'll give them a tour, Mr. Herriman," a young boy in a red shirt and a green backpack said, standing by the open office door. "Ah, Master Mac, thank you," Mr. Herriman said. "Now then, run along."

Once outside the office, Shane properly introduced the two and the tour began. He and Shane named a bunch of the friends they encountered through the house. There were so many friends and rooms, Kay couldn't keep up.

"It gets easier the more you visit," Mac told her. Then, he was tackled by a laughing blue blob. "Bloo!" Mac exclaimed, apparently not amused, and stood back up. "I'm giving a tour."

"Can I-" "No," Shane answered before Bloo could even finish his question. "But whyyyyyyyyyy?" he whined. "I said so," Shane answered coldly.

"Aww, come on, Shane, why not? I know he made you mad earlier, but he seems like fun," Kay tried to persuade. "... Fine, since it's your tour, your decision... But your responsible for him!" Bloo high-fived Kay and walked along side Mac.

"You know what, Shane? We could introduce her to Wilt, Ed, and Coco," Mac suggested. "If she wants to, I don't see why not," and the three looked at her. "Ok, let's go."

They walked down several hallways and checked several rooms, also meeting several more friends, before finally finding a large, furry purple monster with huge fangs, horns, and a skull belt buckle. His appearance made a chill run down Kay's back, and she hid behind her newly found friend Shane.

"Hey, Edwardo, this is Kay. This is her first time visiting Foster's," Mac explained. Shane moved so Ed could clearly see her.

"Believe me, you've got nothing to be afraid of," Shane reassured. "Are you sure," she asked in reply, eyes wide and ears lowered. However, the monster seemed harmless, offering his hands/claws for a shake. She gripped it, but instead of a shake, she was pulled into a rough bear hug, and was being swung around like a rag doll.

"Awww!" Ed cooed, "She es muy soft and furry and adorable just like senor Shane!" he exclaimed, mixing his native Spanish tongue with English.

"I am not!" Shane exclaimed, crossing his arms. "Ed, I think your crushing her," Mac said, believing that the noise coming from Edwardo's arms were crys for help. But they turned out to be fits of giggles as Edwardo set her down.

"I like him," she said shortly after his embrace. "Well, Ed, have you seen Wilt or Coco?" Mac asked. "Lo siento, senor Mac. I can help look, though," he replied. "Ya wanna know what I think?" Bloo said. "No!" said Mac, Edwardo, and Shane simultaneously. "Fine!" Bloo yelled, and crossed his arms.

"What were you thinking, Bloo?" Kay asked. Bloo's face lit up and said, "Outside on the basketball court, duh!"

"Oh, yea," Mac and Edwardo said. Shane face-palmed himself as they made their way down the numerous stair cases they had gone up earlier during the tour and went outside. They saw a bird/plane/tree creature sitting in the shade of a tree and a very thin, very tall figure with one arm and a wonky eye playing basketball. Mac, Kay, and Edwardo walked to meet the bird, Coco, as Bloo and Shane ran on the court to play with the tall friend, Wilt.

"Hey, Coco," Mac greeted. "Cocococo," she replieid. Kay wore a confused expression. Wilt, Shane and Bloo walked over to the rest of the group. "Coco, Wilt, this is Kay," Shane introduced. "She helps with donations and decided to come in and meet some friends."

"Hi there," Wilt said happily. "Cococococo!" Coco replied. "... Can you repeat that?" Kay asked, followed by everyone laughing. Kay was still confused.

"That's how she speaks, Kay," Wilt explained. "After a while, you'll understand her." She looked up to try to meet his gaze, but she seemed to be pretty small compared to him.

"...You're tall. No wonder they thought you'd be on the basketball court," Kay said. She was beginning to realize the time, being outside, where it had gotten colder and darker. "Sorry guys, but I gotta cut this visit short—my mom will flip if I'm not home soon."

"I can take you home, and tomorrow we can all shoot some hoops, and you can see the rest of the house, if you want," Shane offered. Kay's eyes lit up and she smiled.

"Of course! That sounds good to me," she replied, "I guess that means I'll see everyone tomorrow. Bye for now," the fox girl called as she and her new wolf friend started heading out from the court to the sidewalk. Everyone waved as the two left.

Half way back to Kay's house, she was still buzzing with excitement. But she calmed down, and said "Honestly, I never was really liked by the other kids at school. Do you think the friends there will like me, Shane?" He crossed his arms and replied, "Of course they will. They're easy to get along with. Some friends... not so much. I'll warn you if one of those friends come along, but you really shouldn't have a problem being a friend over there." he gave her a reassuring smile.

She smiled back and said, "Thanks, Shane. For everything today, it was great." Soon enough, they were on Kay's doorstep. "Awww, well, I guess I gotta go. But I'll see you and everyone tomorrow, right?"

"Sure," Shane said with a hint of excitement in his voice. Kay stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Shane's neck. His eyes were wide and full of surprise, but he returned the gesture and wrapped his around her also. They parted, and Kay, seeing the surprise lingering on his face, smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, and entered her house. He stood for a few seconds, and then started walking home.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Kay was anxious to go to school and get it over with. Today was Friday, which not only meant the weekend started as soon as the dismissal bell rang, but it also meant she could visit Foster's again. And this time, she informed her mother, so time wouldn't be an issue like yesterday.

She told her mom bye and walked out the door to get to school. Some of the other kids who went to that school walked too, but this was the first morning she bothered to notice the boy from yesterday, wearing the red shirt and green backpack.

"Hey, Mac!" she called out, and pick up her pace a bit to catch up.

"Oh, hey," he greeted tiredly.

"You ok? You look exhausted," Kay asked.

"I'm fine. It's just that my stupid older brother kept me up all night," he replied bitterly, recalling the many hopeless attempts to sleep last night.

"Your lucky, though," she replied softly, "I've always wanted an older brother. Someone to help me with homework, help take care of my sisters, you know?"

"Oh, I didn't know.. But you don't want Terrance as an older brother, that's for sure," Mac warned. "I hope he doesn't show up after school today. He does that sometimes just to chase me to Foster's." At this point in the conversation, Kay and Mac were arriving in school and headed to their class rooms. She stopped in front of her homeroom.

"That's terrible! He better not be there after school! I'll even walk to Foster's with you to make sure," she smiled encouragingly.

Mac chuckled and replied, "Thanks, Kay, but I don't think you'll be able to stop him either. I'll see ya after school,"

As he walked to his classroom, Kay smirked and said under her breath, "We'll just see about that."

Eight hours later, she found herself staring anxiously at the ever so slowly ticking clock for her dismissal bell. When it finally sounded, she was the first one out the door, and walked outside to wait for Mac. He came out, and raised his hand to wave, but his eyes became fixed on a figure with black hair wearing a red plaid shirt.

"Your brother?" Kay asked. Mac nodded stiffly, still speechless. The boy, who appeared to be in at least middle school, was quite a bit taller then Mac, making it understandable for him to be intimidated. He started to walk over to them.

"Oh, no," Mac sighed.

"Well, well, if it isn't my little brother," Terrance begins. "And who's this?" He grabs Kay by the arm. "Your girlfriend?" He asked in a mocking tone. Kay ripped her arm from Terrance's grasp.

"Now you listen hear mister!" she demanded. Both the boys looked surprised at her. "First, you don't touch me. Second, Mac is my friend. You won't be picking on him anymore," Kay ordered. Terrance stared, but was soon laughing hysterically. He shoved both Mac and Kay on the ground.

"What's a little sissy like _you_ gonna do about it? Run back to your house for imaginary dorks?" He mocked.

Kay smirked. "As a matter of fact, yes." She forcefully scooped Mac off the ground and dragged him along as she ran toward Foster's.

"Hey, get back here, you wimps!" Terrance called, hot on their tracks.

"You know, this would be easier if you ran too!" Kay yelled to Mac.

"I'm trying!" Mac heaved. Kay, being secretly part fox, made her considerably faster than kids her age. Luckily, the school wasn't too far from Foster's. Plus, Shane was sitting outside on the stairs in plain sight, clearly in his half wolf form.

"_Thank goodness,_" Kay thought.

"Shane!" Kay and Mac both called out. His ears twitched and smirked, but when he looked up his expression turned to one of surprise. Right as he jumped off the stair, Kay and Mac had made it to him.

"Shouldn't you be hiding your ears?" Kay quickly asked.

"It's cool. He totally thinks I'm an imaginary friend," Shane explained, and gave a wink. "Now then," he said, turning to Terrance, who just made it to the gate and was gasping for air.

"I suggest you go home, Terrance," Shane stated boldly. "We both know how this ends."

"So Shane puts up with this too?" Kay asked Mac from the stairs.

"Well, yeah, but not always by himself," Mac explains. As if on cue, Bloo jumps out of the house, wearing a pair of neon orange goggles and holding a matching paintball gun. He repeatedly shoots Terrance, coating his clothes in paint of an assortment of colors. Mac and Kay were laughing hysterically. Bloo walked over to Shane, who smiled and fist-pumped his accomplice.

Terrance roared with frustration, and his targets switched from Mac and Kay to Bloo and Shane. He stared at his the two like a predator would stare at their prey.

"I dare you to do something about it," Shane instigated, arms crossed. Terrance charged, and came at Shane swinging. Kay gasped, but watched in awe as Shane blocked and dodged any punch Terrance threw. Somehow, Terrance managed to put Shane in a headlock.

"Haha! Not so tough now, are you, mutt?" Terrance taunted, and rubbed one of his fists quickly and forcefully on Shane's head and ears. He winced and growled as he struggled in Terrance's grasp.

"What should we do?" a panicked Kay asked.

"Stay put!" Shane grunted. He didn't want his friends involved. Even though Terrance was really Mac's problem, Shane had some kind of protective instinct among his friends. Gathering his strength, Shane forced himself to slightly straighten his back, grab a hold of Terrance, and lift him up over his head, sending the teen to painfully land on his back.

"Whoa!" the three watching in horror exclaimed. While Terrence was trying to regain the breath that was knocked out of him, Mac, Kay, and Bloo ran in Shane's direction cheering his name.

"Arrghh, whatever. I've got better things to do then to hang around with sissys," Terrance said angrily, and stormed away from the house.

"That was.. exciting," Kay commented as the four finally entered the house.

"I'm sorry. He just doesn't know when to quit," Mac said, sitting on the large staircase in the foyer. He propped his head in his hands and closed his eyes, obviously embarrassed.

"You don't need to be sorry. He's not your fault," Shane replied.

"We can take care of him any day, huh Shane?" Bloo asked triumphantly, fist-pumping the wolf-boy again. It seemed as though fighting off Terrance was the only time they got along. Wilt, Edwardo, and Coco entered the foyer, unaware of the previous events.

"Hey Mac, and Kay," Wilt said in his usual friendly tone. Mac looked up and grinned slightly, hoping to get his mind off Terrance. Kay winked and gave him a nudge, as if to say, 'It's ok, don't be embarrassed.'

"Hola, amigos!" Edwardo said excitedly, picking up Kay in a tight bear-hug just like yesterday. They looked at each other, and silently agreed to keep the fight to themselves. Once Edwardo put Kay down, she stood for a moment to catch her breath, then her eyes lit up.

"Oh yea! I owe you a game of basketball! Remember?" Kay asked, pointing to Wilt.

"Well, ok, if you still want to, I mean, you don't have-"

"Let's go then!" she said, cutting Wilt off. She took Shane and Mac by the arms and dragged them back outside. She was surprised she remembered how to get outside, being the house is bigger than any other foster care home she had ever seen. Once they were all outside, they picked teams: Kay, Shane, and Bloo verses Wilt, Coco, and Mac. Edwardo decided to be a neural cheerleader, even though Shane tried to convince him that normal cheerleaders picked teams. After that useless attempt, the game started. Since they didn't have a ref, a coin was tossed and Wilt's team got the ball first.

"Alright, listen up," Shane coached while in a circle formed with him, Kay, and Bloo.

"Wilt's the biggest threat, so I'll guard him. Bloo takes Mac, and Kay takes Coco. Now, I'm gonna try to steal, and-"

"Shane?" Kay interupted.

"Yea?"

"We aren't in the NBA. Let's just play the game the best we know how, ok?" she said. Apparently Shane is used to taking everything seriously, from protecting his friends down to a simple game.

"Fine. But your on Coco and Bloo on Mac," Shane pouted, having a perfectly put together strategy be canceled. Kay closed her eyes, revealing her fox features and knowing she would be better able to run in jump in this way. The teams stepped onto the court and the ball was checked. Shane ran back and forth, trying desperately to take the ball from the tall red friend.

"I'm sorry, but it's not gonna happen, Shane!" Wilt taunted. He made the first five baskets of the game effortlessly, and Shane was able to make one of his two foul shots when Coco charged into him. They took a time out with a score of 10-1. Bloo crossed his arms and Shane scowled. Both were pretty sore losers.

"The game's not over yet, you two," Kay reminded, and brought them each a water bottle. Bloo chugged his, but Shane only took a sip before replying.

"Might as well consider it over. I'm not used to facing Wilt. We're usually on a team."

"Well, this time your with me and Bloo, and we're at least gonna make it to ten points," she argued, beginning to feel the heat of the game.

"How do you figure?" Shane asked carefully. He was actually a bit intimidated by the sudden fierce tone that Kay had adopted.

"We could always follow _my _strategy," Bloo spoke once his bottle was empty.

"Bloo, if your plan has anything to do with ninjas, pranks, or any form of cheating, the answer is automatically no," Shane warned.

"It doesn't.. anymore," Bloo replied. "All we have to do is gang up on Wilt. He'll have to pass it then, and then you can steal it. Duhhh!" The two exchanged looks, then focused back on Bloo.

"I guess we can try it," Kay said, and looked to Shane. "What do we got to loose?"

The game started back up again, this time giving Shane's team offense first. Shane, thinking he was in danger of loosing the ball, passed it to Bloo, who missed it. Fortunately, Kay caught it and made a lay-up.

"Nice, Kay," Shane complimented. Now Wilt's team had the ball and, of course, it was passed to Wilt. It was time to test Bloo's strategy.

"Get over here!" Shane yelled to his teammates. Kay and Bloo swarmed Wilt, causing him to almost trip several times and endangering the ball.

"Coco!" he called, sending the ball flying to her. She would've caught it-had it not been for Shane jumping in front of her to intercept. He stormed down the court and made a lay-up like Kay. This continued through the game, until Mac noticed a pattern. He called for a time out with the score of 18-15.

"They're ganging up on Wilt on purpose! We need a new plan," Mac stated.

"Cococo co co coco," Coco suggested.

"We can try that," Mac said, and turned to Wilt. "Let me or Coco handle take the ball while you wait on your side of the court."

"Ok, but just be careful with Shane. His favorite part of the game is trying to steal for his team," Wilt informed, being a constant teammate of Shane's up until today. The game started again, and the ball went to Mac.

"What are they doing?" Bloo asked.

"I don't know, but Mac's an easy steal," Shane said. "They must be wanting me to go after Mac.. Bloo, guard Mac. Kay, you guard Coco, I'll handle Wilt." She followed his instruction. Mac and Bloo were coming down the court fast, and Mac threw it as hard as he could in Wilt's direction. Shane knew he couldn't reach it by himself. He interlocked his fingers, bent his knees, and called to Kay. She looked over, ran, and stepped with one foot into his hands. Shane hoisted her up til she was airborne, and she grasped the ball before it got to Wilt.

"Yes!" Bloo cheered. Kay landed, and sped down the court to her team's hoop. Wilt was able to catch up easily.

"Watch out, Kay!" Shane called out. She turned and saw Wilt, but didn't stop. She went for another lay-up, and just made it before Wilt could stop her.

"All right!" Shane called out.

"Not bad," Wilt complimented as he took he ball and passed it to Coco, who passed it to Mac. Bloo tried to get the ball from Mac, but he passed it to Wilt, and he made his team's winning basket.

"Aww, man!" Bloo yelled in distress. Shane just crossed his arms and growled.

"Oh, well. It was a good game, huh guys?" Kay said with a wink. "We'll get 'em next time."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure about that," Wilt commented. "But it was a good game."

"Who says the next game's gonna be basketball?" Shane asked mischievously as everyone walked back into the house.

"Video game showdown!" Bloo yelled.

"You're on!" Shane, Kay, and Mac said simultaneously. They looked at each other, and ran straight to the arcade.


	3. Chapter 3

It was nearing 3 o'clock one Monday afternoon, and a certain black-haired red-eyed wolf boy was sitting in the middle of the foyer, having his eyes fixed on one of the many clocks in the room. Several friends passed by the foyer, wondering what he was doing, but didn't bother to ask. That is, until everyone's favorite blue blob of mischief walked by.

"What are you doing?" he asked Shane. He broke his stare at the clock and looked at Bloo. Then he shrugged.

"Waiting on Kay and Mac, I guess," he replied. "I'm bored out of my mind."

"Tell me about it," Bloo agreed, and sat next to Shane on the floor.

Just then, Shane and Bloo heard voices on the other side of the door, followed by knocking. Shane and Bloo practically pounced on the door to open it, which startled Mac and Kay.

"It's about time!" Bloo exclaimed. Shane's face brightened a bit.

"Well, hello to you, too," Kay replied in a duller tone than normal. Shane's ears drooped a bit.

"He's not exactly the patient type," Mac said.

"I think we've all noticed," Shane said. "Anything interesting happen today?"

"It's school. Why would it be interesting?" Kay asked with irritation in her voice and walked away, claiming she had to use the restroom. Shane looked over to Mac.

"She's been talking like that since school ended. She was fine this morning," Mac informed him. "Maybe she's getting picked on again."

"Again?" Shane asked, but dropped the subject when she was on her way back. She had slightly puffy eyes, but her tone lightened up.

"Sorry about that, guys. What do ya wanna do?" Mac and Shane knew she was hiding something, but Bloo, being oblivious, grinned widely and suggested they play video games.

"Again?" Mac groaned.

"Why not?" Shane said. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up with you."

"Don't be too long," Kay smirked and followed the dynamic duo to the arcade room.

"I shouldn't be that long," Shane said to himself as he walked toward Mr. Herriman's office. He slowly opened the door and saw Herriman with Frankie and Madam Foster, discussing things about the house.

"Is this a bad time?" Shane asked carefully.

"Oh, not at all, deary. Come on in," said Madam Foster, one of the nicest elders Shane had ever come across. Herriman sighed, due to the fact that he had been interrupted. However, he never went against his creator's wishes.

"What's up, Shane?" Frankie asked casually.

"Well... I wanted to ask you guys something," he said with uncertainty in his voice.

"Go on, out with it," Mr. Herriman said impatiently.

"Oh, hush. Don't mind him deary," Madam Foster said, getting out of her chair and walking over to the boy. She put a hand on his shoulder, although he was a bit taller than her, and asked, "What do you need?"

"I wanted to know.. if I could enroll in school?"

The room was quiet for a moment. When Shane had first entered the house months ago, he was offered the chance to enroll in school, but turned it down, saying he wanted nothing to do with normal children.

"Of course you can, deary!" Madam Foster said proudly.

"Awesome, Shane! I'll call the school to see when you can start," Frankie said enthusiastically.

While Frankie was speaking to someone from Kay and Mac's school, Madam Foster smirked and asked, "This sudden decision wouldn't have anything to do with that sweet little girl who comes by, now would it?"

Shane slightly blushed, crossed his arms and looked away. "No! I just need to get an education! I can't hide from normal humans forever, can I?"

The Madam chuckled and replied, "No, I suppose you can't."

The next morning, Mac left his apartment and met Kay at hers so they could walk to school. She wasn't very talkative, and only smiled when he mentioned how badly she had beat Bloo playing video games yesterday.

"Well, I guess we should go to class now, huh?" Mac said.

"I guess," Kay replied reluctantly.

"Just try to take it easy, okay?" Mac asked.

"I'll try," Kay said, and walked into her homeroom. She was immediately hit with a ball of paper and heard giggling among a group of other girls.

Just as class was about to begin, the teacher came in followed by Shane. Kay's jaw dropped when she saw him with his wolf qualities tucked away. The group of girls who were laughing at Kay grew quiet.

"Good morning, class," the teacher began.

"Good morning, Mrs. Rogers," the class sang back.

"As you can see, we seem to be getting a new student today. Why don't you introduce yourself?" Mrs. Rogers motioned to Shane. "My name's Shane."

Kay had never seen this side of Shane before; her protective, demanding friend was suddenly shy, soft spoken, and had a hard time taking his eyes off the ground.

"Let's try to make Shane feel welcome," Mrs. Rogers said, noticing how uncomfortable Shane was and allowed him to sit. He took the only available seat in the back, while Kay was up front.

"Okay, class, let's open our English textbooks to page 116."

For not going to school for several months, Shane was pretty smart, especially when it came to math. They were finally able to talk once recess came around

"I had no idea you were coming to school!" Kay exclaimed.

Shane smiled and said, "Surprise."

"It definitely was one!" she replied. Mac soon walked over to join Kay, not expecting to see Shane.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Today is my first day of school," Shane explained. "It's going pretty well so far."

"Awesome," Mac said, happy that Shane would now be walking home with him and Kay, which means Terrance would pick on him less.

Kay's mood had definitely changed for the better, until she caught sight of the group of girls in her class walking passed them. She growled.

"What's the matter?" Shane asked.

"Them. Don't get mixed up with those girls, okay?" Kay asked seriously.

"Okay, I won't. But why?" Shane asked.

"Just cause," Kay said, and made her way back to class early.

"Who are those girls?" Shane asked Mac. He pointed to a red-headed girl in a purple top.

"That one's Jessica. She's kind of like the leader of the pack, and the one who picks on Kay all the time."

"I see," Shane said, looking over at her, and back to Mac. Then he smirked. "Not anymore."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4! Yes, finally, chapter 4! This is one of the fluffiest chapters I've ever done... Just saying... I had to get it out of my system.. :P**

The rest of that school day carried on like any other—Shane partnered up with Kay for an English assignment, and she smiled at the dirty glare she received from Jessica. After the dismissal bell had rang, Kay gathered her belongings and headed outside to find Mac, as she did every day since the day they became friends. Shane was also prepared to leave, had he not been stopped by the band of girls known for tormenting his only friends in the school.

"Hi, new kid. My name's Jessica, but I go by Jessie," the red-haired child started. "These are my friends, Kendra, Marie, and Shelby," she introduced. The girls just quietly remained in the background as Jessica spoke for them. Shane turned to face her directly, trying to be polite, not wanting to make anything worse for Kay or Mac.

"I'm Shane," he said as he stood, ready to leave to classroom. He started out, but was cut off by this persistent girl.

"Okay, Shane. Maybe tomorrow you can hang out with us, instead of those losers," Jessica 'generously' offered.

"Shane's eyebrows raised. "Losers?" he asked, as if he hadn't already known who they were.

"Yeah. The one with the book bag hangs around with imaginary friends all day, and Kay is just too quiet.. It's creepy," Jessica explained.

Shane could agree-to a certain extent. Kay _was_ quiet, but certainly not creepy. And Mac had made a promise to Bloo, so he _has_ to come around everyday, but it's no bother. The Foster house is always interesting—Shane would be willing visit from time to time, if he didn't already live there. However, he would not waste anymore of his time or breath with this girl, so he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Thanks, but, I happen to like those losers. See ya around," he smirked, and headed out the door, leaving Jessica confused.

Once he finally got outside, most of the kids had cleared out and gone home. "_They left me.. Thanks, guys_," he thought, but he heard an unexpected "BAH!" and was toppled over by Kay and Mac, who had hidden on the side of the school building, waiting for Shane to walk out.

Although he wasn't a fan of surprises, Shane couldn't help but laugh. "What was that for?"

"You took forever!" Kay exclaimed through escaping giggles.

"Yea, what took you so long?" Mac asked, deciding to get up off of Shane. As the other two stood, he debated on telling the two about Jessie, but decided against it. "_They're both in a good mood, I don't want kill it... I'll tell them later_," he thought, and said, "I just had to ask the teacher something about the homework, that's all." Then, he smirked, and grabbed up Mac in a head-lock. "But I'm here now, aren't I?" He took his fist and rubbed it against Mac's head—not nearly as hard as Terrance would, but just enough to mess up Mac's hair and make him struggle.

"Aaghh, Shane!" Mac yelped and chuckled at the same time. There were hardly moments of playing with Shane, unless it was competition, such as basketball or video games, so Mac knew times like these were rare. Kay remained on the sidelines, watching the two boys rough-house.

"_He's not such a bad kid after all_," Kay thought, admiring Shane's rare, more relaxed, playful side.

"Think twice before sneaking up on me, you got that?" He said, and released Mac, who fell to his hands and knees.

"Well, it was Kay's idea in the first place," Mac blamed as he stood. The black-haired boy turned to the girl.

"Oh, really?" Shane looked at her menacingly, but unsure of what to do—the friendship was still fairly new, and he didn't want to hurt or scare her. He took a step forward, and she took off, running full-speed to Foster's.

"Ah, a chase, huh?" he said out loud. "It's almost too easy."

"I don't know about that," Mac thought. "You could beat anyone at a race because you're part wolf. She's part animal too.. Maybe she'll be able to beat you," he teased.

"Maybe not _beat_. Challenge? Yeah, bring it," Shane said confidently as him and Mac also began running toward Foster's.

Kay, having the head start, had gotten to the house and quickly closed and locked the door behind her.

"JEEZ! What took you guys so long? It's 3:30! And where's Mac?" Bloo asked impatiently.

"Well, to make a long story short, I need to hide before Shane and Mac-" *Thump Thump Thump*** **Was heard at the door.

"Oh, no!" Kay panicked.

"You need a hiding place, huh? Well, follow me," Bloo said heroically and led Kay up several flights of stairs to his, Wilt, Edwardo, and Coco's room.

"Hey, Kay," Wilt said.

"Hola!"

"Coco."

"Hi, guys... Bloo, isn't this a little obvious?" Kay asked.

"Relax, they'll keep your hiding place a secret, won't you guys?"

"Yeah, no problem. Playing hide 'n seek?" Wilt asked.

"Sorta," Kay answered, not knowing herself about the extent of Shane's play.

The gang heard voices out in the hall—Mac and Shane's, chanting, "Come on out, Kay!"

"They're here! Quick, in Wilt's locker!" Before she had time to object, Bloo shoved Kay into Wilt's locker, an invasion of privacy according to the girl, but Wilt assured that it was okay.

The door swung open and the two boys stormed in. "Have any of you seen her?" Mac asked.

"Who are we talking about?" Bloo asked, laying on his bed as if he knew nothing.

"Bloo's too good to be cracked easily, Mac," Shane pointed out, then smiled at Wilt. "_You, on the other hand_..." he thought. "Wilt, will you help me find Kay? Please?" the wolf-boy asked sweetly. Wilt thought for a moment—he was already helping Kay, and Shane was just playing nice; he knew of Wilt's inability to say 'no', and was using that against him.

"Sorry, Shane, I don't know where she is," he lied, or at least tried to. Shane growled, then turned to Edwardo. He looked to Mac, who nodded in a silent agreement, seeming to know Shane's next move. The wolf-boy revealed his claws and fangs, and jumped on the top bunk of the gang's bunk-bed, causing the purple monster to shriek in fear.

"AAHHH! In the locker! En el armario!" Edwardo shouted, and shielded himself with his covers. Kay darted out of the locker, a final means to escape, dodged Mac and fled to the foyer.

"Oh no you don't!" Shane called, also darting out of the room, and was soon hot on her trail. She managed to get as far as outside before the older boy grabbed her around the waist and tackled her to the ground. At first, nothing was said, but then the two sat up, faces red from laughing.

"You okay?" Shane managed to ask.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kay said through laughter.

The gang managed to get outside as the two stood, brushing the grass from they're clothes. "There is something bothering me, though..."

"What is it? Did I hurt you?" asked the worried Shane.

"No... Just... Why were you late coming out of school today?" she asked.

"Wha? I told you, I asked the teacher a question," Shane defended.

"How? Kay and I saw Mrs. Rogers walk out of school before you," Mac said. He and Kay crossed their arms.

"Uh.. Well.. I got another teacher's help," Shane lied.

"If you're gonna lie, at least make it believable!" Bloo chimed in.

"Shut up!" Shane exclaimed, and turned back to Mac and Kay, who seemed to be waiting for an answer.

"It's no big deal, Shane. Just tell us," Kay tried to convince, but Shane crossed his arms and turned around, afraid of upsetting his two friends. Kay turned to Mac, who had developed a smirk.

"Okay Shane, this can be done the easy way, or the hard way," Mac said. Kay almost laughed—how could Mac possibly challenge Shane? Shane, on the other hand, knew what Mac meant, and turned to face him, eyes wide.

"You wouldn't dare..."

"Try me."

This time, Shane was the one running as if his life depended on it. Bloo chased after him, laughing hysterically.

He finally tackled the wolf boy to the ground, pinned him on his back, and chanted "Shane's gonna get it!" Wilt, Kay, and Mac caught up to find Shane struggling against Bloo, who was enjoying his rival's 'torment'.

"What's going on?" Kay asked.

"Oh, you'll find out. Shane's just not as tough as he leads on," Mac informed her, then turned to Wilt. "Wilt, would you mind helping us? Shane chose to do things 'the hard way'," Mac said. The tall red friend chuckled to himself.

"He never learns, does he?" Wilt said, and, with his good hand, began to tickle one of the boy's sides relentlessly. He grit his teeth and tried to suppress his laughter, until Wilt's long, spider-like fingers scurried across the wolf's stomach, and giggles began pouring out.

"No, WILT! M-Mhahac! I-I'm soooo gonna kheheill you! Bwahaha!" Shane spat out between laughter as Mac stood with his arms crossed, still smiling. Bloo, determined not to let him get away, was enjoying this as well—next to a playful attitude, seeing Shane defeated was pretty rare.

"You ready to fess up?" Mac asked tauntingly.

"NO!" he yelped in reply. Kay's eyes lit up, and knelt down next to the helpless boy.

"Need some help, Wilt?" she asked with a twisted grin.

"Sure thing," Wilt replied.

"NOO! Kay, s-stay back! No! AHH! Hahahaha!"

She began to assist Wilt in tickling the life out of him. The slightest touch of his neck caused his chin to snap down, and he squealed and began kicking and struggling once Kay reached his ribs.

"Kaaaayyy! AAAHHHEHEHEHE!"

"Well?" she asked, noticing how red his face had gotten and the tears forming in his dark eyes.

"OKAY! Bwahaha! Okay, I-I'll tell you guys!" Shane stammered. Kay let up, and Wilt, being the kind of friend he was, helped the heavily breathing wolf up off the ground.

"I hate you... all four of ya," Shane commented.

"We know. Now, what happened?" Mac demanded.

Shane got serious, took a deep breath, and confessed, "Jessica stopped me in the classroom today once Kay had gone. She told me how you two were such losers. Mac, you hang around imaginary friends too much, and Kay's so quiet in class, it's scary. I wanted to say how you guys w_eren't _losers or scary or anything, but I didn't want to make things worse. And I didn't want to say anything about it because I didn't want you guys to worry." Wilt smiled, happy to see the conservative boy open up and care for others.

"So," he continued, "I didn't want to ruin you guys' day." The two brunettes looked to each other. Kay stepped closer to him and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks for standing up for us, Shane. It means a lot," Kay said calmly. Mac came over as well and put his arm around Shane in sort of a side hug. The wolf smiled, feeling he had finally done something right. Of course, with Bloo being Bloo, the touching moment didn't last long. He tackled the group, causing them to land in the grass.

"Ugh, Bloo!" the three yelled simultaneously. The mischievous friend just laughed and said, "Come on, guys! Instead of being all sappy, let's go do something! Like-"

"Like beat the snot out of Bloo!" Shane exclaimed, quickly standing.

"AHHH!" the blue friend yelped, and took off running, with Shane following closely.

"Aaaaand Shane's back," Mac commented jokingly, causing a chuckle from Kay and Wilt.

The two suddenly stopped the chase, talked, and ran straight for Mac and Kay.

"Mac..?"

"Kay, run! Shane wants to get us back!"

Her and Mac's eyes widened and began running around the building when they heard Frankie come outside and call out, "Dinner, guys!"

Everyone stopped. "You got lucky... For now. Just wait 'til after dinner," Shane said with a confident smirk, and headed inside with Bloo.

"It's on," Kay and Mac said, following the two inside during their temporary truce.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five! Yes, I'm still alive, just haven't found the time to write for a while.. But here it is :)**

Mac and Kay anxiously ate their dinner, making and breaking eye contact with Shane and Bloo across the table. They received glares full of mischief and taunts, unable to read their thoughts in order to see what was to come.

"Frankie, may Mac and I be excused?" Kay asked, since Frankie was the closest authority figure. She looked over to Shane and Bloo, who were shaking their heads "no." She smirked, and replied,

"Why? What's going on?"

"Oh, just... Just some homework! Yeah, we have a lot," Mac stated.

"Liar!" Shane called, pointing to Mac.

"Master Shane," Mr. Herriman interrupted. Clearly he could sense the misuse of manners from miles away.

"We do not point at the dinner table." Shane mumbled under his breath and crossed his arms, causing the brunette duo to chuckle.

"We'll give you something to laugh about, just wait," Shane threatened, followed by a raspberry from Bloo.

A few moments passed, and Mac and Kay purposely finished their meals early, and asked again to be excused.

"Very well, but do not be causing any trouble," Mr. Herriman warned.

"Oh, they won't cause any trouble. You have fun, dearies," Madam Foster intervened, with her sweet old-woman smile.

"Thank you, Madam," Kay said politely, returning the smile, and hastily walked out of the dining room with Mac.

"No! What? Shane-" Bloo blathered, finding it unfair that they were dismissed. Shane, however, actually looked satisfied.

"They can have a head-start. It'll be more fin to hunt them down," he said semi-evilly, yet with that rare playful gleam still in his eyes. In fact, that same gleam hasn't left since the three left school earlier today.

"Oh, okay... But seriously, how are we gonna find them before they have to go home?"

"It's the weekend, they may be planning to stay over, if the Madam says so, of course," Shane lowered his voice so only Bloo could hear, " 'Cause you and I both know what Herriman will say."

"Pfft, duhh," Bloo replied, taking the last bite of his dinner as well as Shane.

"May we be excused?" the two asked simultaneously.

"Go ahead, guys. Have fun," Frankie said.

"But no shenanigans!" Mr. Herriman added.

"Us? Shenanigans?" Shane asked sarcastically, looking insulted.

"Never!" Bloo finished as the two laughed and raced out of the dining room, beginning their search for Mac and Kay.

Meanwhile, the two brunettes were looking for a hiding place, when Kay decided on a random door.

"Let's hide in here, Mac," Kay suggested, opening the door.

"Are you crazy? That's Mr. Herriman's room! He'll kill us if he finds us in there!" Mac said, pulling her from the door.

"He won't find us, and neither will Shane or Bloo," Kay reasoned.

"I don't know..." Mac hesitated.

"Plus, it's only 6:30. Herriman won't be going to bed yet, will he?"

"I guess not..." Just then, the two heard footsteps, like someone was running, coming for them.

"Only until the coast is clear!" Mac gave in, and followed Kay into Herriman's room, shut the door, and hid under the bed.

"Weird.. I was sure I heard them around here. Then again, there _are _other friends walking around," Shane said to Bloo as they slowed down, now walking in the same hallway as their prey.

"So, how about that super hearing of yours, wolf-boy?" Bloo taunted. Shane glared at him.

"Shut up! I don't see you doing anything to help," Shane pointed out, still straining his ears. Then, he noticed Herriman's door was cracked open.

"Bloo... Isn't Herriman's door always shut?" Shane asked.

"Yeah. So? Maybe he didn't shut it all the way when he left," Bloo replied.

"That doesn't sound like Herriman... Maybe a couple of someones didn't shut it all the way when they went in," Shane said, followed by an evil chuckle.

"Who would even think of going into... Oooooh," Bloo said, catching onto what Shane was trying to say. He reached for the door, but Bloo grabbed his arm.

"Wait! If Herriman catches us, we'll be dead!" Bloo said frantically.

"You're right... But we should only be in here for a couple minutes. He can't possibly think of going to bed this early, can he?" Shane thought out loud. Bloo shrugged.

"Well, we'll make it quick," Shane said, pushing the door the rest of the way open and entering. They barely searched the closet before they heard familiar thumps down the hall. The boys looked to each other.

"Herriman!"

They hurried under the bed, smacking right into Kay and Mac.

"Ow! Watch it!" Mac said, having been elbowed in the head by Bloo.

"Sorry, guys, temporary truce, we heard-" And the door flew open as Mr. Herriman entered, completely unaware of the four trouble-makers under his bed. They heard a *****clang *, and Mr. Herriman's monocle rolled under the bed, right in front of Kay. The four of them went pale.

"Oh, confound that thing!" he said, getting on his hands and knees to retrieve it. Everyone scooted to the other side, as quickly and quietly as possible. Kay, being on the closest end to Mr. Herriman, wasn't able to get away in time to avoid his grasp, and took her wrist. Herriman gasped in surprise, and pulled Kay out from under his bed. While he was distracted, the boys made a break for his door. Shane tried to stay back, but Kay made a motion with her hand, telling him to go on. They would stand at the door, listening to the surely brutal scolding.

"Miss Kay? What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Herriman asked sternly, sitting her up on the bed. Her ears drooped and panicked, not knowing what to say. Therefore, she stepped off the bed, picked up his follicle, dusted it off with her shirt, and handed it to the old bunny.

"Y-you dropped this," Kay said with a mixture of innocence and fright. He took it from her small hands, not exactly knowing how to respond. He had grown used to dealing with rowdy, loud, obnoxious boys. Realizing she actually meant well, he softened his voice and asked again,

"What brings you in here? Under my bed? Surely it wasn't to retrieve my monocle."

"Well, the boys and I were playing hide and seek, and I heard them coming, so I hurried into this room. I didn't know it was your room, I'm sorry," she explained, and it wasn't a total lie. They _had _been kind of playing hide and seek, and Kay _hadn't_ known who's room it was.. Until Mac told her, but Herriman didn't need to know that little detail.

"Well, I suppose there is no real harm done, is there?" Mr. Herriman stated, and Kay shook her head. He patted her head, and smiled.

"Right, then. You may go, continue your game and whatnot. You are here for the night, are you not?"

"I am, if that's okay with you," she said shyly.

"You are more than welcome to stay. I do not believe _you _are the one we need worry most about," he said, more than likely referring to Bloo or Shane.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shane whispered to Bloo from the outside. The blue friend shrugged.

"Well then, I am preparing for bed, and I believe you and the boys should do so as well. I'm sure one of the friends can escort you to a guest room."

"Okay. Thank you, Mr. Herriman," Kay said fondly, wondering why the boys were so afraid of Mr. Herriman. He was a good guy... Rabbit... But good, in the least. Unless your Bloo or Shane maybe, and can't control your childish outbursts.

She opened the door with her three friends waiting for her, not expecting her to come out alive.

"You're okay!" Mac said, impressed with her not getting hollered at.

"If that were one of us in there..." Bloo started, and looked to Shane, who shuddered.

"... We wouldn't have come out alive," the wolf finished.

"Maybe I hit a soft spot on him. I like Herriman," Kay stated, then began speaking like him.

"Now then, one of you escort me to a guest room, so I may prepare myself for bed."

The boys laughed, and Bloo and Shane led Kay and Mac down a few hallways to another door.

"This is my room. I'm the only one who sleeps in here 'cause my roommates got adopted, so Mac and Kay can have the two extra beds," he offered.

"And me, right?" Bloo whined.

"You _have _a room, and it's two doors down," Shane scolded.

"I'll let Mac sleep on the floor!" Bloo tried to reason.

"Hey!" Mac intervened.

"No, he won't, but fine, you can sleep in here too," Shane gave up. Sometimes, there was no use in arguing with Bloo.

"YES!" Bloo shrieked in victory, and the four went in to find one bunk bed and a separate bed, one dresser, and a small bathroom.

"Your room's not bad, Shane," Kay said, with her hands on her hips, looking around. "I call bottom bunk!"

"Good, 'cause the top's always been mine," Shane stated.

"I guess Bloo and I will share the single one. It's kinda bigger, anyway." Mac said, as the four settled into their beds, all except for Shane.

"There's just one thing that needs taken care of..." Shane's warm smile made a sinister curve as he motioned to Bloo, who tackled Mac and began wrestling. Kay's eyes grew wide.

"You didn't think we forgot, did you?" Shane asked teasingly, pouncing on Kay so she couldn't get away. He cracked his knuckles and wiggled his fingers slightly, hinting to Kay what his intentions were.

"No, Shane! Don't!" she pleaded and struggled, while attempting and failing to conceal the grin on her face. He said nothing, feeling sinister and satisfied as he exacted his revenge on Kay's sides.

"Eeeek!" She squealed at such a pitch that Mac and Bloo stopped and turned their attention to the bottom bunk. Shane couldn't help but laugh at his new friend's struggling and breaking into hysteria. He forced his hands to her underarms, causing a sudden jerk and a more violent means of escape.

"Sh-Shane!" She barely managed to say through a laughing fit.

"What's the matter? Can dish it, but can't take it?" Shane asked tauntingly. Playing like this was new for the boy, other than his rare tickle-attacks from Wilt. He secretly enjoyed those times, since it was the only time he would laugh hard enough to cry.

"Y-Yes! Stop it, Shane! Hahahahaha!" she begged, with tears beginning to form within a couple minutes. He was thinking of going just a bit longer, until Mac and Bloo pulled him off her and onto the floor.

"Dog-pile!" Bloo yelled excitedly, throwing himself onto Shane, as did Mac. Kay was too breathless, but enjoyed watching the three-way wrestling match. Mac and Bloo knew that alone, Shane in no way could be pinned, but together they seemed like an unstoppable force. They expected Shane to start spitting out threats to let him up, to he just laid there on the floor, allowing himself to be pinned as he caught his breath.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

"What is the meaning of all this noise?" hissed a yellow imaginary friend, Duchess, who had on a face mask and too much jewelry. She spoke in such a tone it would probably be enough to make young children cry, which may be the reason she hasn't been adopted.

"What is the meaning of that green stuff on your face? It doesn't help," Shane remarked, causing Mac and Bloo to laugh hysterically.

"Ooooo!" She cried in frustration, clenching her fists as her temper boiled. "Listen her, I am trying to get my beauty sleep!"

"Have you considered hibernation?" Shane asked with a straight face. Mac and Bloo were loosing it as Kay sat quietly on the bed, admitting to herself that it was pretty funny, but deciding that it was best to not laugh.

"That is it! I am going straight to Herriman!" she threatened.

"Go tell him! See if I care!" Shane yelled back and she slammed the door behind her.

"Guys, I'm so dead," Shane said once she was gone.

"Nah, Mr. Herriman knows how Duchess can be," Mac stated.

"Yes, but how long will Herriman tolerate me? He _has _to put up with Bloo, you guys have an arrangement. I don't. They just feel sorry for me," Shane argued, beginning to believe that he's about to be kicked out of the house.

Mr. Herriman soon entered the door, with Duchess following close behind.

"Master Shane, must you always have the last word?" Mr. Herriman asked, sounding more annoyed than stern.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Herriman, but we were just minding our business, and no one else seemed to be complaining," Shane said and stood, already becoming defensive.

"Just quiet down for the night, we'll discuss this in the morning," Mr. Herriman said, sympathetically putting his hand on the boy's shoulder, as if to say "Just be quiet so Duchess will shut up."

Shane nodded, and replied, "All right, we will." Mr. Herriman was surprised that he was being so obedient.

"Very well then, good night to the four of you," he said, and softly shut the door.

"That went better than expected," Mac said as they all could feel the tension release itself from the room.

"We'll do something tomorrow, guys. Let's get to bed," Kay suggested as she, Mac, and Shane went to their beds.

"So we're all going to bed just because Mr. Herriman said so?" Bloo objected.

"Yes!" the three said sternly, apparently done with causing trouble for the night.

Realizing he was out-numbered, Bloo complied and settled down, ironically being one of the first to fall asleep.

While the others slept, Shane continued to stare at the ceiling, unable to sleep due to the restless thoughts flowing through his mind.

"_He was probably just tired, and needed to sleep so he'd have the energy to ream my butt tomorrow. Or maybe he agrees with me for once. I just hope he doesn't make me leave, things are starting to turn up around here..._"

Eventually, his mind grew foggy and his eyes grew heavy, and allowed him to finally fall into a deep sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6! This one is pretty OC oriented, but I made it, I'm satisfied, and I hope you'll like it too :)**

"_Shane, your behavior is absolutely intolerable!" Mr. Herriman said with a heightened voice, giving the boy an infuriated look. "Even master Blooregard can control himself better than you have been able to!"_

"_I'm sorry, Mr. Herriman! I'll shape up. I'll do something, anything. You'll see!" Shane pleaded, throwing himself to Herriman's mercy._

"_Not this time, master Shane. You are hereby expelled from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. I want you to pack your belongings and be out as soon as possible."_

"_I don't have anywhere else to go!" the wolf yelped in fear, trying not to cry._

"_I am sorry, but majority of the house finds you a nuisance, frightening, dangerous, or all three put together. You must go!" _

"NO!" Shane yelled, awaking from what he believed to be one of the worst nightmares he'd experienced in a while. Poor Shane was drenched in sweat, his hair stood up, and his claws must have torn away at his sheets while he slept—they were a ripped-apart mess.

Instead of using the ladder, he jumped from the top bunk, creating a *thump *, and rushed out of his room, which he now felt was a bit claustrophobic with all his friends sleeping there. The noise was enough to rouse Kay, who looked at the clock and read 3:30 a.m. She looked over to find Mac and Bloo sleeping peacefully, then took a step up the ladder of the bunk bed, enough to see that Shane wasn't there.

"Something doesn't feel right," she said to herself, and tried to wake up Mac.

"Mac, Shane's gone," Kay said softly, as to not wake up Bloo. If something were actually wrong, she doubted he would help the situation.

"Huh, what? Gone?" he mumbled sleepily. "Are you sure he's not in the bathroom or something?"

"I thought so at first, but a weird noise woke me up, and he hasn't come back yet."

"I'm sure he's fine, Kay," Mac reassured, and drifted back to sleep.

"Fine," Kay said to herself, "I'll find him." So she slipped out of the room and checked the nearest bathroom, which was vacant. So was the one further down the hall. And by the Foyer. And by the dining hall.

"Something tells me he didn't have to go," Kay thought, and returned to the Foyer. "If I were Shane and woke up at three in the morning, where would I go? Apparently not back to bed." Then she looked out the window and found him—sitting on the stairs, perfectly still, his eyes fixed on some random yard object. Cautiously, she opened the door, and walked out, startling him.

"I'm sorry," Kay said sympathetically, seeing how he jumped violently.

"It's fine. What are you doing up?" he said, keeping his voice calm. However, his eyes were a dead give-away that he had been crying.

"Ya know, I always wake up at three in the morning just to sit outside and stare at my yard," she said sarcastically. He smirked, but it quickly faded and he turned away.

"What are you doing up?"

He didn't say anything at first. The silence created tension, until he said, "Thinking."

"Just thinking?" Kay asked, doubtful about his claim, and her look said so. He sighed.

"Thinking about.. losing this place.. I don't know what I'll do if I have to leave again..."

"Again? You've been kicked out of Foster's before?" Kay asked, eyes widened out of concern.

"No, not Foster's. Other places, a couple of times before," he explained. It was painful to hear, let alone have gone through it.

"Does Madam Foster know?" Kay asked.

"No one knows where I've been up until she took me in."

"Do you want to tell me?"

"No."

"Talking about it might make you feel better."

"I'm fine." Kay was actually getting irritated at his severe hard-headiness.

"Shane, come on. I know we haven't exactly been friends forever, but I think we will be," she had his attention now as he stared intently at her as if he were reading the words coming from her mouth.

"In that case, you've gotta learn to trust me."

He stared until she stopped talking, then was silent. He looked around as he thought, until finally he said, "Fine. But I'm only telling it once, I'm not answering a lot of questions, and I don't want interrupted." Kay nodded in agreement to his terms.

"All right. I was about four years old... You know that saying, 'He was raised by wolves?'"

Kay nodded again.

He smirked, and said "Well, I actually was.. Kind of."

_Flashback_

The four-year-old black-haired, green-eyed boy sat alone in a run-down orphanage. There weren't very many children their, and the ones that were there included Shane and a couple of older bullies, who picked on him for being so small and weak, as opposed to them. Shane just happened to be the smallest and youngest, also making him the most defenseless.

"Hey, shortie," called out an older kid named Danny, who had short brown hair and was a bit on the heavy side. The child was about eight years old, who's parents died for their country in a war. You'd think a child who's parents were soldiers would be more disciplined and respectful.

"Leave me alone, Danny," Shane said, but he didn't know why he bothered saying it—no one listened to him.

Danny just smirked and said "Make me," as he grabbed the collar to Shane's shirt, hoisted him up with almost no effort, and threw him back to the hard-wood floor. The four-year-old bared his teeth, refusing to show Danny how hurt he was. He would try to counter, but he was no match.

After tossing him around the room and throwing slaps and punches at the poor child, Danny had him cornered, and was about to deliver a swift blow that would surely leave Shane with a black-eye, until the caregivers called the boys to lunch.

"I'll finish you off later, squirt," Danny said threateningly, and left the room.

"No you won't," Shane said to himself, and climbed out of his small, dirty window and ran to the woods just beyond the run-down place.

It was the only place he found peaceful, and it was unfortunate he could never stay long—the caregivers' punishments were sometimes worse than the daily beatings he received from kids like Danny.

Shane found his favorite spot by a little creek to rest. He looked in the water to find his scarred and bruised self. The boy brought his knees to his chest, folded his arms, and sighed, and was going to wash away the dried blood and tears until he looked up and saw a wolf, staring at him from across the shallow creek. This wolf was different than the average wolf someone would picture. It was thin but strong, and it's fur was so brilliantly white it appeared to be glowing. It's eyes were red: beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

Shane was scared, but he raised his voice, "You wanna tear me up too? Fine, go ahead!" Clearly fed up, he buried his head in his arms and sobbed, waiting for the wolf to pounce. A couple seconds had passed, and the boy realized he was still in one piece. He looked up and the wolf was now inches away from him, looking to him with curiosity.

Shane remained completely still with his heart pounding at what felt like 300 miles per hour. This bizarre wolf than did the unexpected—licked Shane's small hand.

Engrossed in this strange creature, the boy carefully took his hand and stroked the wolf's ear, and it muzzled his neck in return.

"You're not normal, are you?" asked Shane in total awe. The wolf slowly shook it's head 'no.'

His eyes widened. "You can understand me..." The white beast nodded.

"_I've been watching you struggle for quite some time," _Shane heard, but the wolf hadn't made a sound.

"Whaa..?"

"_I am speaking to you telepathically, or through your mind. This way, you can understand me as well as I can you."_

The boy stood in shock and disbelief, trying to decide whether or not this was a dream. Then Shane heard the wolf chuckle in his mind.

"_You are not dreaming, my boy. I am here to help you. Come, look in my eyes."_

The wolf's eyes, beautiful, crimson-red, drew the boy's attention almost instantly, especially when they began to glow.

"What's going on?" Shane asked, terrified yet unable to look away. At first, the wolf didn't answer. Instead, the boy gasped, and let out a groan in pain as his nails grew into claws, his ears grew to resemble the wolf's, and grew a tail. Fangs also grew in, which caused him to yelp when they stabbed the inside of his cheek. Lastly, his midnight-black hair grew red streaks to match his once green, now glowing, beautiful red eyes. His transformation was complete, and he quickly made his way to the creek to look to his reflection.

"_My child, I have gifted you with not only exterior wolf qualities, but with interior ones as well. You shall have the speed, strength, and mind of our kind."_

"Our kind?" Shane whispered. "So you've made me a wolf?"

"_Not completely. You have the ability to hide your qualities, to disguise yourself and live amongst the humans. I would not confine you to the woods so impulsively. Also, you have purpose in the human world," _the beast said wisely.

"It doesn't feel like I do. No one wants me—how could I have purpose?"

"_The time will come, child. Just be patient, I promise. Now, return to your shelter, my son. Use your abilities for protection. When all else fails, I will come to you, just howl."_

"But how do I hide my wolf side?" Shane asked, looking drowsy.

"_Ah, just focus, child. Your wolf spirit will follow your command."_

Shane closed his eyes, and saw himself as human again in his mind. He could feel his claws, ears, and tail retract, and he looked in the creek again.

"My eyes and hair... They didn't change," he pointed out.

"_I am sorry, my son. Those qualities retain your wolf spirit, and can not be hidden."_

Shane actually smiled. "That's okay. I like them this way."

The mystical wolf appeared to smile back. _"Now, child, I must go. Remember, I will be with you, __always. Defend yourself, and defend those who can not."_

He gave a nod and replied, "I will." The white wolf pressed his forehead to Shane's palm, almost like a dog to it's master, and sprinted back to the woods, while Shane turned to walk toward his "home", where he was more confident in facing Danny and the other older kids.

"Hey, runt," Danny greeted at the door. "We have unfinished business."

Shane felt the adrenaline course through his body, as he always did before he was about to be beaten. But this was different. This feeling told him to stay, not to run.

"You're right. Let's finish this," Shane said, not feeling as confident as he sounded.

Danny walked over menacingly, and grabbed the boy up by the collar of his shirt again. Shane tried to remain calm, and bring forth his new wolf spirit. He felt his fangs grow back in, and he bit Danny's hand, hard enough to draw blood, and Shane was released.

"OW! What the heck? You little-," but the ranting bully was cut off as the smaller boy kicked

Danny's legs out from under him and he landed on his back. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and a part of Shane enjoyed watching Danny struggle, while the other part told him "enough." Shane had enough sense to listen to the "enough" part, but before he went inside, he put his face in Danny's and growled, "Next time, when I say leave me alone, **leave me alone**!"

Shane recalled his wolf spirit and walked back inside to find one of his caregivers talking to a strong-looking man, looking like he was in his late twenties. He had short, light-brown hair and sparkling green eyes, and was dressed in a navy man's uniform. Clearly he was from the military, so the woman almost let him adopt a child immediately.

"I insist ma'am, run a background check. I want the new child to know I'm okay, whether they can understand it or not. It's still good to have." the man spoke gently, and looked over to Shane, who got shy all of a sudden and quickly looked away.

"Well, only if you insist. Feel free to look around, I'm sure there is a boy here you would be satisfied with," the woman said, with no enthusiasm or caring tone. She just wanted the boys gone.

The man stood and carefully approached Shane, who was trying to make a quiet walk to his room.

"Hey, there," the man said. Shane stopped and turned around, barely making eye contact. He was never sure about adults anymore.

"My name is Ron. Will you tell me your name?" he asked gently, already aware the child was scared.

"Shane," he said, turned to face the officer, and stood up straight.

"Well, it's a pleasure, Shane," Ron said, and held out his hand to shake. Shane took it firmly. "Wow, quite a grip for a little guy. You must be pretty strong."

Shane scoffed and thought, "_You have no idea._"

"So, would you like to come home with me?"

Shane's eyes widened. He knew the officer was looking to adopt, but he figured he was just being nice. Had someone really chosen him?

"S-Sure, yeah," Shane said, lost for words.

"Awesome! Let's go get the paper's signed, then we'll go back to _our_ place," the officer said with a smile and full enthusiasm. He picked up Shane and was able to hold him up with one arm, while Shane wrapped his arms around Ron's neck, and was so excited he couldn't hold back the giggles building up inside.

_End Flashback_

Shane's eyes got teary again. "So, what happened to Ron?" Kay asked.

"I lived with him for about two years. It was one of the best times of my life. He even found out I was given a wolf spirit, but he didn't care. He just cared about me," he said softly, smiling at the memory.

"He taught me basics. How to treat a woman, to respect elders, help those in need. He was the most selfless person on the planet." Shane's smile faded.

"Then he got called back to war. He hurried to find a home that was better than where he'd found me, and he found Foster's. He begged them to watch me, and they agreed. He looked me in the eye and said 'Listen, Shane. I'll be back for you as soon as I can. Be yourself and keep your head up, you'll be fine. I love ya, little guy.'"

He looked like he was about to have another break down, and Kay offered to take his hand. He did, but refused cry again, and solemnly said, "He's not coming back."

Kay seemed to be crying for him, and asked, "Do you know for sure?"

Shane shrugged. "I've never gotten a notice, but I quit getting letters from him. He's either forgotten me, or... you know," He was used to being forgotten, but to think that one of the first people to care for him had past was unbearable.

Kay gave Shane's hand a reassuring squeeze and said, "I don't care how cheesy this sounds, it comes from the heart—don't lose hope. I believe he's still out there, fighting for you. He'll be back."

Quickly and unexpectedly, Shane pulled Kay into a swift hug, burying his face into her shoulder. She smiled, and began to stroke his wolf-ear. "I'm here for you. You can count on it." She felt his grip loosen, and he seemed to be dozing off. "Let's get back to bed, okay?" He nodded silently and followed Kay back into the house, not letting go of her hand until he climbed the ladder on the top bunk.

"Thank you, Kay," Shane said wearily, but sincerely.

"Anytime. I mean it, anytime." Almost instantly, both children were back to sleep, completely ready to take on whatever the day had in store.

It seemed as though morning came too soon, what with being up half the night.

"_Well, better get this over with_," Shane thought to himself, staring at the ceiling. He knew Mr. Herriman would be up bright and early, ready to ream his butt, and possibly send him packing. But he remained calm, and climbed down the ladder of his bunk to find his friends sleeping peacefully. He reached out to touch one of Kay's fox-ears, and stifled a chuckle when it twitched suddenly. He got himself dressed and brushed his hair, then left quietly to find, thankfully, only Herriman awake and in his office. He didn't want others around to hear him be punished.

The boy peeked inside to find Mr. Herriman organizing papers on his desk and whatnot. Shane knocked gently and almost whispered, "Mr. Herriman? Did you need to see me?"

Herriman was slightly surprised to see him awake, but looked almost pleased to see him. "Ah, yes Master Shane, do come in. Have a seat."

He sat nervously in front of the rabbit's desk. "Now, I wanted to discuss your behavior..."

"I know, I'm a bad kid, probably worse than Bloo, but I don't have anywhere else to go, just tell me what to do and I'll do it, I just can't leave," Shane jumbled into one long sentence, utterly shocking the rabbit.

"First off, please do not interrupt, Master Shane. You know that is not proper conduct," Mr. Herriman said, standing and hopping around the desk to get closer to the boy. When he made the last hop, directly in front of him, Shane flinched. Why? He didn't know, Herriman surely wouldn't hit him.

"Second," his voice was much calmer this time, placing a hand on Shane's shoulder. "you need not worry. I was going to comment about how your behavior has improved tremendously. Yes, you _are_ still a trouble-maker, but I see great improvement."

Shane couldn't help but smirk at the trouble-maker comment, and surprisingly, neither could Herriman. The young boy also couldn't help but feel relieved—Mr. Herriman was showing a much more gentle side of him than normal. Then fear washed over him again.

"What about last night? With Duchess?" Shane asked carefully. "Ah, yes. To be quite honest with you, I was fond of the idea that you were acting silly, with the wrestling and tickling and whatnot. You should be aware of how Duchess is, however."

"I thought you didn't tolerate silliness... And why are you being so soft with me? I'm confused, Mr. Herriman," Shane stated, suspecting something to be wrong with the old bunny, but there wasn't.

"Yes, well, I've done some thinking about you and your situation. It was wrong for me to judge based on the simple fact that you are not an imaginary friend. What you are is a friend in need, and you need not worry—we shall not have you leave any time soon."

Shane couldn't believe his ears. The up-tight Herriman... Cutting him a break? Since he had cried enough for one morning, he decided instead to stand and wrap his arms around him.

"Thank you, Mr. Herriman. I will be better, I promise." Mr. Herriman returned the gesture, and when the hug broke, Shane was prepared to leave, until Herriman called, "Master Shane, there is still the matter of keeping some of the friends up all night with your shenanigans."

The wolf-boy cringed—should've known it was too good to be true. But Herriman shot him a grin.. Was that a hint of mischief in his eyes? The question was answered by his next, simple statement, "I will sent Master Wilt after you once he awakens."


End file.
